Category — Thailand

“Soraida has cared for the calf for the past 18 months after Mosha tripped on a landmine in the jungle near Thailand’s border with Myanmar. The explosion almost severed her right foreleg, and she was brought to Soraida’s elephant clinic when she was seven months old.” – MSN India

“Western junior Sally Sandack remembers waking up on a misty morning to see elephants stroll by her bamboo hut window. Throughout the day, Sandack bathed, fed and played with these giant creatures until the Thai sunset sank behind the hills.” – The Western Front

“Last Monday, I had a chance to visit the Elephant Reintroduction Foundation’s camp at Ban Hua Thung in Lampang’s Hang Chat district. There, I witnessed the way that elephants are being trained to live in the wild, eating the plants available to them in the forest. Feeding by humans is not allowed. These elephants were domesticated or had worked with teak logs in the past, but the foundation bought them from their owners with the intention of returning them to their natural habitat. But before any elephant can be returned, it needs to be trained so that it can adapt itself to life in the wild.” – The Nation

” Long revered for their intelligence and sensitivity, elephants are Thailand’s national animal. Elephant Day is celebrated on March 13. A white elephant appeared on the country’s flag since 1917. The animals once paraded members of the royal family, served as super-weapons in Southeast Asian armies and worked in the forests, hauling logs for the Thai lumber trade.” – The China Post

“A mahout casts a net from his elephant in Thailand’s Ayutthaya province, about 80 km (50 miles) north of Bangkok” – Yahoo! News Photos

“They stood before us like condemned men, their proud tradition and heritage had run its course. These well-weathered, handsome men of the jungle were the last real mahouts, trained in the ancient and dangerous art of wild elephant capture.” – the star online

“At Anantara elephant camp, I met Boon Rot, all 10 feet and three or so tons of her, as she breakfasted on bamboo stalks. I’d come to the resort to take part in mahout, or elephant handler, training, and Boon Rot was my assigned animal.” – washingtonpost.com

“Seven teams of elephants from 15 countries went trunk to trunk for Thailand’s seventh King’s Cup Elephant Polo tournament.” – The Sun

“At the Academy for Elephants in Thailand, they are teaching elephants to paint. In a video titled “Elephant Paints Own Self-Portrait,” you can see one of the elephants hard at work with a paintbrush in its trunk.” – The Daily Cardinal

“Thailand’s annual King’s Cup Elephant Polo tournament is under way in the northern region known as the Golden Triangle.” – NZ Herald

“Elephants painting, playing musical instruments, kicking soccer balls, dancing in mini skirts and trekking with humans strapped to their backs are some of the various pachyderm attractions available in northern Thailand.” – NewKerala.Com

“Elephants have been big business in Thailand for centuries, but it is only recently that they also have become tourist attractions.” – Bangkok Post

“Thailand’s highly popular King’s Cup Elephant Polo Tournament returns to the northernmost region of the country known as the Golden Triangle from March 31st to April 6th.” – TravelConnect

“The next time you see an animal performing a trick, or giving a ride, performing in a film, or employed by humans for work purposes, you might want to consider what exactly went into the training of the animal.” – Straight.com

“Doung was among four autistic children who participated in a three-week elephant therapy programme, created by the Occupation Therapy department of Chiang Mai University and the Elephant Conservation Centre in northern Lampang province.” – MCOT

“The Sarojin Thailand, voted one of the world’s most luxurious and romantic resorts, is offering visitors a free elephant trek with its latest package when they upgrade to a Sarojin Suite. ” – e-Travel Blackboard

“Thai vets on Thursday ruled out surgery for Sampran, a 6-year-old elephant whose forefoot has swollen to a monstrous size after being injured in a hunter’s trap two years ago. “We can’t operate on the foot because there would be too much blood loss,” said Thai veterinarian Sittidej Mahasawangkul after taking an X-Ray of Sampran’s damaged foot at Lampang National Elephant Institute hospital, 500 kilometres north of Bangkok.” – The Earth Times